Miracles

Miracles

1. Wiles-View: the whole universe is one single creative act, this means that the whole universe reveals God to people and God's activity is present, he is sustaining the whole universe

   • CRITICISMS
     • Christian tradition: God is more direct than this. e.g. stories of miracles; so this invalidates Wiles argument
     • human rationality:
       • we can't understand God, because god is a mystery and non comprehensible
     • Christian God: John Polkinghorne argues Maurice Wiles view of Gods action in the world does no reflect Christian religous experience of God, difficult to sense in a traditoinal way of the idea of petitionary prayers that make requests of God

2. SIGNIFICANCE OF MIRACLES FOR RELIGIOUS BELIEVERS

   • 1. Miracles support arg for Gods existence
   • 2. miracles signs of Gods continuing activity in the world
   • 3.show prayers answered
   • 4. miracle resurrection
   • 5. miracle show that Jesus is from god
   • 6. Miracle show God's providence
     • general providence- goodness of creation
     • special providence- refers to God acting in the world on particular occasions. E.g: God causing miracles in response to someones prayers

3. Aquinas- Miracles are a way of God revealing himself, miracles have a divine cause ; ideas of miracles come from Aquinas

4. Hume- miracles a violation of nature